Computer systems management is an important element in the operation of an enterprise and it is also one of the fastest growing segments in the software marketplace. As increasing amounts of products (e.g., software and hardware) are being deployed and purchased, there is increased pressure for greater accountability. The enormous expenditures being made to acquire the hardware and software being deployed, coupled with increasing cost control pressures to demonstrate fiduciary responsibility, have led to the need for increased accountability, which has given systems management an even more critical role in the operation of enterprises.
Traditional systems management approaches utilizing a collection of different tools have proven cost-ineffective, because the costs associated with the using these separate management tools results in management costs that typically exceed the initial investment made in the hardware and software that needs to be managed. Often reducing the number of tools being is not feasible as each of the tools used has different capabilities and several of them need to be used to accomplish management objectives. Other traditional approaches to address this problem have been to promote Interface Standard Definitions or Proposals, which are eventually endorsed and implemented over time (e.g., typically in response to client pressure for standards compliance) in new versions of existing products.